What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) One propeller blade failed/loss of a portion of the blade. Engine vibration caused failure of the engine mount. The p&w R1340 engine separated from the airframe at touch down in an open field. (.19) on August 22, 2002, at 0700 pacific daylight time, an air tractor AT-301, N8793S, made a forced landing in a newly disked field after losing a portion of a propeller blade, and came to rest inverted. The airplane, operated by spain air under the provisions of 14 CFR part 137 as a crop dusting operation, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual metrological conditions prevailed for the local area flight and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed a private airstrip about 0650. According to the pilot, he had been crop dusting since midnight. There were no mechanical anomalies noted during that time. On the accident flight part of the propeller blade came off. The pilot stated that the engine started to vibrate and he made an emergency landing in a cotton field. On the landing rollout the landing gear caught on the soft dirt and the airplane nosed over inverted.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ONE PROPELLER BLADE FAILED/LOSS OF A PORTION OF THE BLADE. ENGINE VIBRATION CAUSED FAILURE OF THE ENGINE MOUNT. THE P&W R1340 ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AT TOUCH DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD. (.19) ON AUGUST 22, 2002, AT 0700 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-301, N8793S, MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A NEWLY DISKED FIELD AFTER LOSING A PORTION OF A PROPELLER BLADE, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY SPAIN AIR UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 137 AS A CROP DUSTING OPERATION, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP ABOUT 0650. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD BEEN CROP DUSTING SINCE MIDNIGHT. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES NOTED DURING THAT TIME. ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT PART OF THE PROPELLER BLADE CAME OFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO VIBRATE AND HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD. ON THE LANDING ROLLOUT THE LANDING GEAR CAUGHT ON THE SOFT DIRT AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER INVERTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.